HARRISBURG – State Sen. Devlin Robinson (R-37) today criticized the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) on their plans to negotiate with a nine-member group of contractors headed by an Australian firm to replace 9 bridges proposed for tolling with an estimated cost of $2.5 billion.
“I am once again disappointed to see PennDOT’s ongoing insistence to move forward with their bridge tolling scheme and add insult to injury with yesterday’s decision to negotiate with a group headed by a foreign company,” said Sen. Robinson. “It is insulting to see the Department choose a foreign entity over the many Pennsylvania companies that are more than qualified to do this work.”
PennDOT will now enter into a Pre-Development Agreement with the Bridging Pennsylvania Partners (BPP), which includes Australian-based Macquarie Infrastructure Developments and 8 other firms.
Robinson, a vocal opponent of PennDOT’s plan to toll nine bridges across Pennsylvania, including the I-79 bridge near Bridgeville, Allegheny County, is also a prime sponsor of a bill to put the brakes on the tolling plans. Senate Bill 382 reforms the Public-Private Transportation Partnership (P3) statute, and voids the PennDOT Pathways Major Bridge P3 Initiative.
CONTACT: Elizabeth Weitzel; eweitzel@pasen.gov, 717-787-5839